Product recall using customer prior shopping history data

ABSTRACT

A system for determining customer identifiers (CIDs) associated with purchase of product items which are recalled includes a computer database management system ( 10, 20 ) and network ( 30 ). Consumers associated with the determined CIDs are notified of the recall of the products.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to the field of POS marketing.

BACKGROUND

Point of sale (POS) computer systems are digital computer systems thattrack product purchases and transaction amounts received at POSterminals. POS terminals are terminals where store transactions takeplace and sales transaction data is input to the POS computer system.

POS marketing refers to the field of marketing to consumers whenconsumers are at the POS by using POS computer systems.

The term product recall means a notification of purchasers of a productthat the product should not be used for its intended purpose. Productsare recalled due to defects noticed after the products have beendistributed by a manufacturer. Product defects leading to productrecalls range from very minor to life threatening.

A customer identification (CID) means an identification associated withpurchased product items. A CID may be stored in memory of a POS computersystem in association with identifications of goods or servicespurchased in a retail store. A CID may be associated with a singleperson or a group of people, such as members of the same family orpeople having the same residence address as one another.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An object of this invention is enable manufacturers and retailers tonotify consumers who have purchased a product that the product isrecalled.

Another object of the invention is to account both for product itemsreturned by consumers as a result of the recall and the consumers whohave returned the recalled product items.

Another object of the invention is to enable retailers and manufacturersto target market to consumers depending upon whether the consumers havepurchased a recalled product, and to target market to consumers who havepurchased a recalled product depending upon whether the consumersactually received notification of the recall, whether the consumers haveor have not returned their purchased recalled product items, dependingupon the manner of notification and the manner of the consumers' returnof the recalled product items.

These and the other objects noted below are accomplished by novelprogramming stored on a computer storage media (referred to as acomputer program product), computer database management systems,computer network systems, and method of using the computer networksystems, programming and database management systems to perform thesteps of entering identifications of products being recalled into acomputer system, determining Customer Identifications (CIDs) associatedwith a purchase of the products being recalled, and transmitting recallnotifications to the persons or households associated with the CIDS. Themechanism of transmitting the recall notification to the person orhousehold may be by using a POS terminal or Kiosk when a CID to whichthe recall applies is entered at the POS terminal or Kiosk, bytransmission to a postal address associated with the CID, bytransmission of email to an email address associated with the CID, andby transmission of a web page to a client computer with which the CID isassociated.

In one aspect, the invention comprises a computer network implementedsystem and method for recalling products capable of performing the stepsof determining CIDs associated with purchase of product items associatedwith a recall; and notifying consumers associated with the determinedCIDs of the recall. Other aspects of the invention include systemstructure and programming for performing the steps of: determiningproducts previously purchased in association with a CID; determining ifproducts previously purchased meet a rebate specification; determiningwhether data indicating a product previously purchased in associationwith a CID meets a recall specification; determining a UPC associatedwith the recall; transmitting a recall notification to a POS terminal orkiosk when a determined CID is entered at the POS terminal or kiosk;transmitting a recall notification via postal mail to an addressassociated with a determined CID; transmitting a recall notification viaemail to an email address associated with a determined CID; transmittingfrom a web site to a user's computer a recall notification in responseto a prompt received for the user's computer for a personal web pageassociated with a determined CID; transmitting a refund, a rebate, or anincentive along with the recall notification; transmitting to a consumerencoded indicia identifying a CID associated with the consumer andrecall instructions along with the notification; determining CIDssubject to a recall notification based at least in part on a recallspecification and CIDs stored in association with data indicating priorproduct purchases; transmitting determined CIDs to another computersystem; transmitting determined CIDs associated with one retail computersystem to that retailer computer system; generating bar coded documentscontaining a determined CID and recall specification; accounting forreturn of recalled goods; entering into a computer system a CIDassociated with returned goods; entering accounting date at a POSterminal in a retail store; entering accounting data at a postal mailservice provider facility, determining the efficacy of notifying;accounting for costs associated with said recalling products; targetmarketing to consumers associated with determined CIDs; further targetre-marketing to consumers associated with determined CIDs depending uponconsumer responses to initial target marketing.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a computer networkimplementing a method for recalling products, comprising the steps ofreceiving at a central server computer system a recall specification;determining, at the central computer system, retailer stores thatreceived product items subject to recall, and specification of productreceived by each retail store subject to recall; and notifying retailerswhose stores received recalled product of the product items andassociated recall specification. In this aspect, the invention may alsoinclude notifying a consumer associated with a CID associated withpurchase of a product item meeting said recall specification.

In another aspect, the invention comprises a database management systemcomprising means for entering and retrieving date in a database; adatabase storing CIDs in association with prior purchase of productitems; means for determining, based upon a recall specification, whichprior purchase of product items stood in the database are for productitems associated with a recall; means for determining CIDs associatedwith purchase of product items associated with a recall; and means fortransmitting or storing determined CIDs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention is illustrated with reference to the figures wherein:

FIG. 1 is a schematic of a computer network system;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing high level steps for performing anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3. is a flow chart showing steps of three embodiments of performingstep 250 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing steps of an embodiment for performingstep 260 of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a computer network system including the following elements:central server computer system 10; central database 20; Internet 30;manufacturer computer system 40; manufacturer computer system 50;manufacturer computer system 60; manufacturer computer system database70; manufacturer computer system database

80; manufacturer computer system database 90; retailer computer system100; retailer computer system 110; retailer computer system 120;retailer computer system database 130; retailer computer system database140; retailer computer system database 150; POS terminal 160; kiosk 170;and personal computer (PC) 180.

FIG. 1 shows manufacturer computer system 40 connected by a data line tomanufacturer computer system database 70. This data line indicates thatcomputer system 40 stores and retrieves data from database 70.Similarly, FIG. 1 shows data lines connecting each computer system to adatabase from which the computer system can read and write data FIG. 1shows each computer system connected by a data line to the Internet 30.POS terminal 160 is associated with a first retailer's store andcommunicates with retailer computer system 100. Kiosk 170 comprises adata communication terminal at which a consumer can receive from andtransmit to the first retailer computer system certain data. PC 180comprises a computer capable of prompting for, receiving, and displayingweb pages transmitted from servers running web server software.

Preferably, first, second and third manufacturers use moots computersystems 40, 50, 60, respectively to support their business. Preferably,first, second, and third retailers use retailer computer systems 100,110, 120, respectively, to support their business. Preferably, a servicecompany uses central server computer system 10 to support its business.

The number or manufacturers, retailers, and service company computersystems shown in FIG. 1, the number of databases attached to eachcomputer system, and the use of the Internet 30 are each exemplary, andare not necessary or limiting to the invention further disclosed andclaimed herein. Each computer system typically includes at least onecentral processing unit, memory for assisting the central processingunit in processing data, disk storage media, input/output devices forreceiving and transmitting data to other computer system and to userdevices, and operating system software for coordinating operation ofapplications software and data flow. Data transmission lines representboth network cable and wireless transmission/reception hardware.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing in step 210 deciding to recall, in step220 identifying Universal Product Codes (UPCs), in step 230 transmittingUPCs to central server computer system 10, in step 240 determining CIDs,in step 250 transmitting CIDs, and in step 260 analyzing and accounting.

In step 210, a manufacturer decides to recall. Preferably, themanufacturer determines the specification of the recall. Typically, therecall specification defines at least one product UPC, identifiableproduct items, geographic regions, time periods (e.g., date ranges),retailers, and specific stores. The recall specification defines thescope of the recall and any data that accomplishes this goal may be usedfor this invention. It should be noted that identification of theproduct without any other limitations would indicate a general recall ofall outstanding product items for that product.

The recall specification may also include terms of any refund, rebate,or incentive available from the manufacturer to be offered inassociation with the recall. An example of a refund is currency value inthe amount of manufacturer's suggested retail price, or in the amount ofprice shown on proof of purchase. Examples of a rebate are (1) a checkfor a fixed currency amount and (2) a store voucher for a fixed discountamount upon a consumer providing proof of purchase of specified productsof the manufacturer issuing the recall. More specifically, themanufacturer could offer a rebate to a consumer who had purchased aproduct item subject to recall upon the consumer providing to themanufacturer proof of purchase of another product item for the sameproduct and which is not subject to recall. An example of an incentiveis a discount obtained from the retailer upon the price of a subsequentpurchase of a specified product item made by the manufacturer at thetime of the subsequent purchase.

In step 220, as part of the recall specification, preferably, themanufacturer identifies the UPC or UPCs of the product or products beingrecalled.

In step 230, relevant portions of the recall specification, preferablyincluding the UPCs of the products being recalled, are received in thecentral server computer system 10. A user of the central computer system10 may enter the recall specification data into central computer system10. Alternatively, the recall specification may be automaticallyreceived at the central server computer system 10 in a transmission sentfrom the manufacturer computer system of the manufacturer issuing therecall.

In step 240, in a preferred embodiment, central computer system 10identifies CIDs associated with purchased of product items that meet thespecification of the recall. Central server computer system 10 may storethe CID information in central database 20. Each CID may be stored indatabase 20 in association with data indicating any of the following:retailer; specific store identification; consumer's name; consumer'sfamily name; names of family members; names of members having the sameresidence address; residence address; purchase transaction dates;product items purchased in association with the CID; dates or purchaseof each product item purchased in association with the CID; incentivesoffered to the person(s) using the CID; redemption data for incentivesoffered in association with the CID; and related demographicinformation. Other data may be stored in association with each CID. Thedata associated with each CID is preferably stored in a relationaldatabase in which relations between different fields of data is welldefined.

In step 240, alternatively or in addition, central computer system 10may identify non CID information meeting the recall specification,including retailer identifications, specific retail stores, product itemproduction batch, lot, and serial numbers.

In step 250, the central computer system 10 transmits CIDs meeting therecall specification for delivery of recall notification to the personor persons associated with the CIDs as further described below inconnection with FIG. 3.

In step 260, one or more of the aforementioned computer systems analyzesdata indicating efficacy of the recall, accounts for service charges forthe recall, and generates targeted marketing depending upon that data asfurther described below in connection with FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 shows a flow chart containing steps of embodiments fortransmitting to the consumers associated with CIDs meeting the recallspecification. Specifically, consumers meet the recall specificationwhen prior purchase data associated with their CID indicates that theconsumer had previously purchased a product item meeting the recallspecification.

In step 310, the central server computer system 10 transmits CIDsmeeting the recall specification to retailers. Usually each CID isassociated with either one retail store or one retailer's chain ofretail stores. The central server computer system determines from therecall specification which CIDs are associated with purchases of therecall, and the retail stores with which the CID is associated. Thecentral server transmits the recall notification for a specified CID tothe associated retail store's computer system, or to a computer systemthat interacts with the retail store's computer system sufficiently toenable conveying information to a consumer at a point of sale (POS)terminal of a store managed by the aforementioned retail store computersystem.

In step 320, a consumer at either a POS terminal or a kiosk in theretail store is identified by one of the specified CIDs. The CID isentered into the retail store's computer system. Either the retailstore's computer system or a computer system communication therewith(i.e., either another local computer system or the remote central servercomputer system 10) determines that the received CID is associated withthe recall and transmits instructions to notify the consumer of therecall. While the consumer is interacting with the POS terminal or thekiosk, the POS terminal, the kiosk, or hardware adjacent theretoprovides to the consumer notification of the recall. Notification may bein the form of a screen display, audible message, or a printed message.The notification may also include notification of terms of any refund,rebate, or incentive. As part of the consumer's interaction with thekiosk or POS terminal, the consumer may be provided any refund due inaccordance with the recall specification.

In step 330, the store, the manufacturer, or a recall service provider(generally, the recall processor) accepts recalled goods from consumers.As part of that process, the recall processor may enter data indicatingthe consumer's CID, provide any of a refund, rebate, and incentive, andenter into a computer system accounting information identifying therefund, rebate, and incentive provided to the consumer.

In step 340, as a first alternative method for notifying consumers of arecall, a recall notification is mailed to postal addresses associatedwith a CID meeting the recall specification. Consumers receive viapostal mail an encoded, preferably bar coded, paper. Preferably, thepostal mailed recall notices include a bar coded paper encoding the CIDassociated with the postal address. The bar coded paper may also encodethe recall product specification or relevant portions thereof. Therecall specification encoding may subsequently be used to ensure thatthe product items the consumers return actually meet the recallspecification. The postal mailed notices preferably include instructionsfor consumers to both identify recalled products and return recalledproducts. The postal mailed notices may also include or be associatedwith refunds, rebates, and incentives associated with the recallspecification.

In order to facilitate step 340, preferably central server computersystem 10 determines postal addresses associated with CIDs meeting therecall specification and then transmit the CIDs and recall productspecification data to a postal mailing service provider. The postal mailservice provider may be part of the central server computer system or itmay be a computer system controlled by a different legal entity.Alternatively, the central server computer system may transmit the CIDand recall specification data to an Input/output device, and a user maythen convey the CID and recall specification data to a postal mailservice provider. The postal ail service provider may print and mailrecall notices to the postal addresses associated with the CIDs.Alternatively, each retailer or retail store computer system, havingreceived CIDs and recall specifications associated with a recall maygenerate postal mailing instructions and convey the postal mailinginstructions to a postal mailing service provider.

In step 350, the postal mail service provider, the retail store, oranother entity receives by postal mail bar coded postal mailed papersand product items mailed by consumers in response to the recallnotification. As in step 330, preferably the CID, the recalled productinformation, and whether the returned product meets the recallspecification are determined from the contents of the postal mailing andentered into memory of a computer system, such as system 10.

In step 360, as a second alternative for notifying consumers of arecall, central server computer system 10 or a retailer computer systememails the notifications and associated information discussed above toemail addresses associated with CIDs meeting the recall specification.The email may be accompanied by data defining the CID, the recallspecification, instructions for the consumer to determine what productmeets the recall specification, and instructions how to return therecalled product item. The email may include printable machine readableindicia encoding the consumer's CID and the recall specification.

In step 370, recalled product items are received either via postal mailor in retail stores at a POS terminal or service terminal.

In a third alternative, the consumer may be notified by receiving apersonal web page when pointing their computer's browser to a web siteat which the have a personal web page associated with their CID.

In the foregoing embodiments described with reference to FIG. 3, animportant step is determining CIDs associated with a prior purchase of aproduct item subject to recall. Preferably, central server computersystem performs that function. Alternatively, a distributed set ofcomputer systems, such as one storing data for each region of a country,or one storing data for each retailer could perform that function.

Other means than those specifically disclosed above for conveying therecall information to the consumers whose CIDs meet the recallspecification are possible and are within the scope of this invention.

FIG. 4 shows a flow chart illustrating steps for analyzing andaccounting for a recall program. In step 410, the recall programefficacy is determined, in step 420 the recall program service provideris paid, in step 430 a report on recall efficacy is generated, in step440 recall responders are targeted for subsequent marketing, and in step450 results of the targeted marketing are used to improve targeting tothose responders.

In step 410, preferably the central server computer system 10 determinesefficacy of the recall program, for example, by comparing the number ofproducts recalled from consumers receiving notifications at the POS,kiosk, postal mail, email, and web page view, to the number of suchnotifications, and breaks down the comparison based upon demographicinformation for the consumers.

In step 420, preferably the central server computer system 10 determinesa service charge for the CID based recall program. The service chargemay be based upon a measure of the efficacy of the recall program. Theservice charge may be based upon the number of CIDs meeting the recallspecification, the number of postal mailing, the number of emailings,the number of POS or kiosk recall notifications, number of retailers,number of retail stores, and the number of product items returned, orany combination of the foregoing. Alternatively, the rebate program maybe charged at a flat fee or in a manner that does not require processingof data by central server computer system 10.

In step 430, central server computer system 10 generates a report. Thereport may include any of the efficacy comparisons mentioned above. Inaddition, the report may include costs associated with the rebateprogram and revenues generated to the server provider of the rebateprogram.

In step 440, the central server computer system may run code forgenerating a follow up target marketing program. In this programconsumers may be targeted based upon whether they responded to theproduct recall, whether they acted on any rebate or incentive associatedwith the product recall, and whether they have subsequently purchasedadditional items of the product subject to the recall. An example isproviding to a consumer a relatively large incentive if the consumer hasnot subsequently purchased a product item of a product subject the priorrecall, and offering a consumer that has subsequently purchased suchproduct items for the product that was subject to the recall either arelatively smaller incentive to purchase another product item for therecalled product or to purchase an item of some other product made bythe same manufacturer. The process of targeting based upon the consumersresponses to the target marketing resulting from the recall program maybe iterative, so that the incentives subsequently offered to consumersdepend upon their responses to previous rounds of incentives relating tothe recall program.

In an alternative embodiment to notifying consumers based upon CIDs, thecentral server computer system 10 may determines stores, lots shipped tothose stores, and product dates that meet the product recallspecification, and send notifications or instructions for recall toretailers meeting the recall specification, either as an alternative tonotifying consumers via CIDs that meet the recall specification or inaddition thereto. For example, the cost of postal mailing recallnotifications and POS notification to consumers may prohibit thatactivity, but not prohibit email notification. This may occur when therecall specification identifies a very low level of importance to therecall, and in which the manufacturer is not willing to pay costs for acomprehensive recall program. Accordingly, central server computersystem 10 may email notifications to email addresses of those CIDsmeeting the recall specification, if known, and transmit notificationand instructions to those retailers that central server computer system10 determines have received product meeting the recall specification.

In one embodiment the CIDs are frequent shopper card identifications, orare IDs derived from frequent shopper card identifications. Retailersthat have frequent shopper card IDs typically also have sensitivepersonal information, such as name and address information associatedwith the frequent shopper card CIDs. One embodiment of the operation ofthe inventive system disclosed above preserves confidentiality of thesensitive personal information while performing a recall function onbehalf of manufacturers by not disclosing to the manufacturers thesensitive personal information. Thus, the accounting functions of theinventive systems and methods discussed above may provide only summaryinformation on numbers of consumers participating in a rebate recall,number of consumers provided the recall notification. The accountingfunctions may be programmed to preclude divulging frequent shopper cardbased CIDs or any CIDs to the manufacturer that sponsored a recallprogram.

CIDs may also be based on numbers or identifications contained in creditcard, check cashing cards, checks, or any other card or paymentinstrument which consumers use. If the consumer consistently uses thesame such instrument in retail store transactions, then the centralserver computer system 10 can store a record that associates pluraltransactions with a single CID, thereby enabling analysis of a shoppingpattern associated with the CID, and thereby enabling the central servercomputer system to make prior shopping history based determinations,such as the CID specific recall notification decisions discussed above.

The invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments.However, the inventive concept disclosed is broader than the specificembodiments, and the scope of the invention is more properly defined bythe following claims construed to include known equivalents to claimedelements and steps and all known structure for performing the claimedmeans elements.

1. A computer network implemented method for recalling product items fora product subject to a recall, comprising: determining, in a computersystem, a CID associated with a product identification of said productsubject to said recall, thereby indicating prior purchase by a personassociated with said CID of a first product item of said product; andthereafter, in response to identifying at a terminal or kiosk of aretail store computer system, said CID, thereby indicating the presenceof said person at said terminal or kiosk, providing to said person viasaid terminal or kiosk a notification of said recall for said productand offering to said person via said terminal or kiosk at least one of(1) a rebate when there is proof of purchase of a second product itemfor the same product as said first product item subject to said recallbut which said second product item is not subject to said recall and (2)an incentive associated with said recall such that said incentive offersa discount upon the price of a subsequent purchase of a specifiedproduct item.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of determiningcomprises determining a UPC associated with said recall.
 3. The methodof claim 1 further comprising transmitting a refund along with therecall notification.
 4. The method of claim 1 wherein a central servercomputer system performs said step of determining based at least in parton a recall specification and CIDs stored in association with dataindicating prior product purchases.
 5. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising a central server computer system transmitting said determinedCIDs to another computer system.
 6. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising the step of transmitting determined CIDs associated with oneretail computer system to that retailer computer system.
 7. The methodof claim 1 further comprising the step of generating bar coded documentscontaining a determined CID and recall specification.
 8. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising the step of accounting for return of recalledgoods.
 9. The method of claim 8 comprising entering into a computersystem a CID associated with returned goods.
 10. The method of claim 8wherein said accounting occurs at a POS terminal in a retail store. 11.The method of claim 8 wherein said accounting occurs at a postal mailservice provider facility.
 12. The method of claim 1 further comprisingdetermining the efficacy of said step of notifying.
 13. The method ofclaim 1 further comprising accounting for costs associated with saidrecall.
 14. The method of claim 1 further comprising target marketing toconsumers associated with said determined CIDs.
 15. The method of claim14 further comprising further target re-marketing to said consumersassociated with said determined CIDs depending upon consumer responsesto said target marketing.
 16. The method of claim 1 comprising offeringto said person via said terminal or kiosk said rebate.
 17. The method ofclaim 1 comprising offering to said person via said terminal or kiosksaid incentive.
 18. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of providingcomprises receiving at said terminal or kiosk said proof of purchase inassociation with said CID, thereby indicating the presence of saidperson at said terminal or kiosk, such that providing said rebate is inresponse to receipt at said terminal or kiosk from said person of saidproof of purchase.
 19. A computer network system for recalling productitems for a product subject to a recall, comprising: a computer systemfor determining a CID associated with a product identification of saidproduct subject to said recall, thereby indicating prior purchase by aperson associated with said CID of a first product item of said productsubject to said recall; and a retail store computer system having aterminal or kiosk that is configured to respond to identification ofsaid CID at said terminal or kiosk, thereby indicating the presence ofsaid person at said terminal or kiosk, by providing to said person viasaid terminal or kiosk a notification of said recall for said productand offering to said person via said terminal or kiosk at least one of(1) a rebate when there is proof of purchase of a second product itemfor the same product subject to said recall but which said secondproduct item is not subject to said recall and (2) an incentiveassociated with said recall such that said incentive offers a discountupon the price of a subsequent purchase of a specified product item. 20.The system of claim 19 wherein said retail store computer system isdesigned to offer to said person said rebate.
 21. The system of claim 19wherein said retail store computer system is designed to offer to saidperson said incentive.
 22. The system of claim 19 wherein said terminalor kiosk is configured to receive said proof of purchase in associationwith said CID, thereby indicating the presence of said person at saidterminal or kiosk, such that system is configured to provide said rebateis in response to receipt at said terminal or kiosk from said person ofsaid proof of purchase.